Sarah Jane Adventures - Rumination: Out of Time
by lhigginns67
Summary: Three stories. Three different perspectives. Just what does it mean to be human? Story One: Out of Time Set between School Reunion and Invasion of the Bane. Sarah Jane wakes up to discover that the present day and the seventies have clashed, and people, houses, and cars are constantly in flux. One house is of particular interest, it seems...
1. Chapter 1

A quiet, uneventful life. That's what Sarah Jane preferred. She kept to herself, the neighbours kept to themselves. Simple as that. No way should her many encounters with life beyond Earth - her adventures with the Doctor - be any of their business.

All in the past now, anyway. Just bills, washing, car insurance, and the likes, to worry about these days. She'd never quite found the time for kids. There wasn't a place in her life for them, anyway. Nosy neighbours would be bad enough, but children? Or a partner? No thank you.

A quiet, uneventful life was something of a laughable prospect in the world of journalism, at times, though. Claims you've ruined people's lives, or fabricated an entire story just for a headline. Claims, even contacts in higher places couldn't refute.

As of recent, Sarah Jane's journalism pieces had been a little on the...dry side. Politics; the economy; the weather. Bannerman Road was a fairly quiet street, so rarely worthy of an article. It would have to...rain fish, or such, to spark any kind of interest. Sarah Jane was never going to deny the existence of extraterrestrial life, but by God, you'd never find her name on an article about it in the Ealing Echo.

For all of what she'd seen during her time with the Doctor - the good; the evil; the extraordinary, but particularly the evil - sometimes she forgot: the worst evil wasn't many galaxies away on Metebelis 3, or Skaro. It was here on Earth. Murder; rape; adultery; slavery.

Human nature. Fascinating, but formidable.

Sarah Jane downed the last of her tea, just as the letterbox clinked. She could place the postman in the Guinness Book of World Records for his ever so consistent delivery times. Fortunately, another Travast Polong from an unsuspecting online seller wasn't awaiting her.

The car was due for an MOT tomorrow. Oh, the joys. Best give Claudia a bell to explain her potential lateness for their lunch meeting. Sarah Jane had made quite the breakthrough on her latest investigation, leaving plenty for her and Claudia to discuss.

Occasionally, Sarah Jane wondered if a house of this proportion exceeded the requirements of her lifestyle. Perhaps Aunt Lavinia had expected children, and a significant other to accompany Sarah Jane, in her inheritance of this house. Perhaps a cottage would have sufficed.

Sarah Jane yawned. 10pm. Yet another day of phone calls, thorough research, countless cups of tea or coffee, and an occasional bite to eat, was done. She climbed into bed, writing several things in her diary - mainly reminders, if they weren't already on the calendar. Sarah Jane pulled the duvet over her, and turned onto her side.

Exciting day ahead, tomorrow. Exciting, indeed.

8am. Sarah Jane climbed out of bed, yawning. All in all, only a few hours sleep. Great.

She'd always been something of a workaholic, and this was the thanks she received, it seemed.

Having changed into her usual blouse and waistcoat attire, Sarah Jane entered the kitchen, producing a mug and tea bag, before heading for the front door to retrieve her milk. She opened the door, lifting the two pints left by the milkman. She stopped.

The house across the street looked...different. Completely different. The two-storey pale yellow terrace, now had a run-down brown bungalow in its place. The next house down was unchanged, but the car, a blue Suzuki, was now a...bronze Ford Cortina. Sarah Jane hadn't seen a car like that since...the seventies. Or the bungalow.

She re-entered with the milk, going back to the kitchen. Strange...odd...what was the word? She headed outside again. Did she...she couldn't have imagined that. Sarah Jane looked at the house with the Ford Cortina, just as a man exited. A man with long flowing hair and a moustache to match. Flared trousers, a flowery shirt, and heeled boots too. He climbed into his car, and drove off.

She looked back to the bungalow, which appeared to...morph, into the pale yellow terrace. Then back to the bungalow.

What...was going on?


	2. Chapter 2

It could've been some kind of freak occurrence. For now, aliens were out of the question. That wasn't to say they _weren't_ a possibility, but it'd be the cop out conclusion to jump to. Perhaps Mr Smith would know. Sarah Jane hurried up to the attic. Wonder if this was happening up at Claudia's end. Or anywhere else in the world, for that matter.

'Mr Smith, I need you.'

The computer in the wall roared into life, compete with the usual fanfare.

'Would you be able to explain why outside, things from the seventies have started appearing? It's rather odd.'

'Insufficient data.'

What? How could that...

'What do you mean, Mr Smith?'

Several bleeped sounded.

'My scanners detect no abnormal activity from outside.'

How was this possible? She was _not_ imagining this.

'Bring up the local news.'

The local news appeared on screen.

'...sunny spells throughout the day. And now over to sports...'

Nowhere else experiencing it. Strange, indeed.

Through the blinds of her living room window, she peeped at the opposite house. Number 36. She'd wanted to have a look in there, for it'd been unoccupied for some months now. Well, the two-storey terrace had. The run-down bungalow...well, who knew? A seventies interior to match? Perhaps she could check it out. If anyone ask...oh, who on this street would ask a woman they hardly knew, let alone uttered two words to on a daily basis, anyway?

There could be a story in it, one to give her journalism its much needed kick up the arse.

Sarah Jane walked across her driveway to the footpath, and stopped. The bungalow appeared, and for now, seemed fixated.

The Ford Cortina from the next house had returned. Definitely not imagining things, Sarah Jane thought.

She started towards the bungalow, studying it. Maybe it was just a freak occurrence. Not aliens. The door had changed from white with frosted glass, to merely black. Just the number 36, a letterbox, and no window. The blinds were shut. She tried the handle. The door was...open? Once again, strange. A phenomenon was beginning to look unlikely. Sarah Jane pushed the door open, and entered.

Bare. Completely bare. Derelict, in fact. Nothing to suggest it had been anyone's home at _any_ point.

Ah, this must've been the living room she'd reached. Again, completely bare, just like the hallway. Except for the...computer in front of the back wall. Not a desktop or a PC. A large grey unit covered with flashing buttons, but no screen. A supercomputer? Similar to Mr Smith? Like something from one of those old sci-fi films.

A low beep sounded.

'_Life form detected_.'

Well, this was-

'_Why did you break in?_'


	3. Chapter 3

'_Why did you break in?_'

A Pierce Brosnan kind of voice, Sarah Jane noted. But break in? As if.

'I didn't, the door was open.'

Another low beep sounded.

'_Curiosity?'_

She supposed it could be called that. Among other other things.

'I suppose so.'

Beep, beep.

'_That is common among the human life form?'_

'Yes, as a matter of fact.'

'_What is your occupation?_'

Did it want to know her name, as well? Just where was this going to lead?

'I'm a journalist. An investigative journalist.'

Pause.

'Is this why there seems to be a bit of a strange phenomenon occurring outside?' Sarah Jane continued. 'The changing cars and houses, and that?'

Beep, beep.

'_What year did you become a journalist?'_

Why did it want to...

'1973.'

Beep, beep.

'_Was it a good year?_'

'I suppose so.'

Beep, beep.

'_Curiosity was of your nature then, in 1973?_'

'Yes.'

Beep, beep.

'_Is that what makes humans human?_ Curiosity? Judgement? Greed?'

Oh Christ, the last thing Sarah Jane wanted to do was to go all philosophical. Especially with a computer.

'You did this, didn't you?' she replied. 'Lured me in here with all that seventies stuff out there.'

Pause.

Beep, beep.

'_No. You trespassed_.'

'How could I have?' Sarah Jane fired back. 'The door was left open - and besides, it's been unoccupied for months.'

Beep, beep.

'_Would you have trespassed in 1973?'_

'Of course...'

Sarah Jane stopped.

'Maybe,' she said quietly.

When needs must...well, it was better than fabricating an entire story, wasn't it?

Beep, beep.

'_What made you who you were then? If not just curiosity?'_

Sarah Jane sighed.

'What's the purpose of all of this? The questions, the...stuff going on out there?'

Beep, beep.

'_Curiosity. I suppose.'_

Oh, how clever_. _

'But why me, specifically - I take it, I'm the only one who can see all of that?' Sarah Jane asked, motioning to the window.

Beep, beep.

'_You were the most...interesting individual on this planet. Curiosity is a curious thing.'_

Sarah Jane sighed.

'Well, now that you've gotten your answer, perhaps you could put everything out there back to normal?'

Beep, beep. Beep, beep. Beep, beep.

'_What's your name?_'

Oh, why did it...

'Sarah Jane Smith. What about you?'

Beep, beep.

'_My system code is registered as HARVEY-3150. I will comply with your previous order._'

Sarah Jane nodded.

'Okay. thank you,' she replied. 'I'll be going now.

Beep, beep.

'_Goodbye, Sarah Jane Smith_.'

Sarah Jane turned and left.

Strange, indeed.

**The End**


End file.
